#276: Bret Contreras, PhD on Building Glutes, Muscle Building & Recovery Science

Bret Contreras, PhD is the author of the best selling book Glute Lab and is the guy professionals see for help sculpting their glutes and lower body. ➢ Today's show is brought to you by Ned CBD for sleep: http://bit.ly/ned-CBD-discount 
Save 15% on NED's hemp-derived sleep-enhancing CBD tincture derived from biodynamically grown Hemp. http://helloned.com/hih Check out Bret's new book Glute Lab: https://amzn.to/359PwVI Check out the video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx3F8IzBcMw Key Takeaways:  04:07 Bret invented the barbell hip thrust exercise, basically a pushup for the glutes. 05:05 Bret is on a quest for maximum understanding glutes, which lead him to a PhD in Sports Science. 08:09 Everyone has a weak muscle that does not respond well to training. 11:11 Glute activation is complicated and individual. 12:52 Published research on physiology is based upon averages. 15:57 Not every body was built to squat or deadlift or whatever, but there is a variation for you. If not, omit it. Pain inhibits muscle activation. 17:46 A study of 200 hips for hip flexion and range of motion showed that hip flexion range was 80 degrees and 140 degrees, a 60-degree spread. The hip extension spread was 5 degrees to 40 degrees. 20:21 Squatting deep is not a prerequisite for glute development. 24:51 Strengthened glutes result in increased activation by your body in movement. 28:41 Old healed injuries can still be perceived by the brain as a threat and pain can continue long after being healed. 29:47 Stretching and foam rolling, for the most part, works on the nervous system. 31:20 Visualization of the contraction of muscles is especially helpful in maintaining strength when recovering from an injury, by working on the nervous system. 32:45 You see better results when you visualize yourself in first person, not watching you do the movement. 50:32 You need a good strength coach who knows all the lifts to help you figure out your weak links. 51:33 No one hurts themselves with hip thrusts done properly. 55:25 In Bret’s experience, the gold standard coach is CSCS certification along with years of internship. 01:00:58 Your knowledge as a coach is a pie chart: 33% is experimental self-experience lifting/training, 33% comes from working with others from all walks of life, and 33% is reading, listening to podcasts, watching videos and attending conferences. 01:04:52 Men have better results by splitting leg day into 2 days: quad day with glutes and a hamstring day with glutes and interspersing this with 3 upper body days. 01:07:18 Women have better results with 3 full body days. 01:12:20 The hormone hypothesis (growth hormone, cortisol and testosterone) of weight lifting is pseudo-science. 01:14:08 Bret prefers dumb bells, body weight and bands for beginners over barbells. 01:16:35 Bret films new videos and writes new programs for his membership program every month.